


Her Knight Was Late

by MiriSkiecer



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action, Adrien acts like a teenage girl, Adrinette, Am I tagging right?, Angst, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng, But I added stuff?, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Heartache, I really like comments btw, I'm sorry it's actually bad, Insecure Chat Noir, Magic Kisses, Marichat, My First Work in This Fandom, Plagg is a Little Shit, Quality of Work Varies, Robbery, Romance, Short oneshot that became more..., Teen+ for the badassery, This is def angst, This is what you get when you don't plan anything, abrupt beginning, canonverse, secret friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-10-01 23:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10203608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiriSkiecer/pseuds/MiriSkiecer
Summary: Marinette takes on a robber on her balcony, beats him good, Chat comes, the end. But...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written awhile ago, barely edited, but not bad surprisingly. Actually the tenses are all over the place. The beginning is VERY sudden, I'm sorry. I have no idea what I'm doing. My second fanfic ever written! (the other one's on Wattpad) Enjoy?

The robber on the roof lunged for her.

Almost reflexively, Marinette swung her fist as hard as she could towards his face. Her punch went wide as he dodged with plenty of room to spare. _'Bad idea, shouldn't have punched.'_ Marinette thought grimly, even as the momentum of her swing carried the fragile girl past the larger black clothed man and into the railing of the roof. Trying to keep to her feet, Marinette staggered into the rail, the iron bars slamming into her stomach. She saw stars, but still she managed to stay upright.

Of course no sane burglar would stay still and do nothing while a 'witness' tried to catch her breath and prepare for her next attack. Although realistically, a small girl couldn't do much to endanger him. She could scream, however and give away the whole operation.

Thinking along such lines, this less than friendly cat thief, lunged for her while her back was turned.

Now would have been a perfect time to scream; a thought that hadn't occurred to Marinette before that moment. Unfortunately with the wind knocked from her lungs and her stomach aching, she wasn’t exactly in peak screaming condition. However, by some stroke of luck, Marinette shifted to turn around just as he moved towards her. Instead of a bone splintering right hook across the girl's flushed and fear stricken face, the fist of Marinette's assailant caught on her purse strap. The thin black string snapped and sent the pink purse flying over the roof's edge.

"Tikki!" Marinette screamed, air somehow finding its way into her lungs so she could let out her strangled cry. Time seemed to slow down for Marinette as she watched the bag, with her Kwami companion inside, vanish over the side of the railing. Lights flashed on in the house below her and she heard the hurried footsteps of her parent's running up the stairs. But Marinette paid that no mind, her body was filled with a different kind of strength than earlier.

She felt her heartbeat speed up and before she knew it she was twisted up in her own feet with her ankle smarting, having delivered a roundhouse kick into the burglar's torso. Finding her feet she made as to lunge for him again but her punch yet again missed. She staggered past him with arms and legs like lead. Black spots filled her vision as she panted and she became aware of an acute pain in the back of her skull.

Blearily, Marinette wondered when he had hit her. She slumped against the railing facing the large man in black. Fury simmering in her bluebell gaze, barely disguised, and wavering. Marinette pulled herself to her feet one last time and hurled her entire body weight towards him, nails clawing.

The man, who was taller than herself by at least a head and a half, easily caught her wrists before she stumbled into him. Her strength gone, without enough remaining to complete this last attack. The man, sweating under his black ski mask, easily held both her wrists in one hand as a he fumbled around in his jacket. Marinette was too exhausted to even kick at him, leading her to just sag in his grasp. Her ankle throbbed in rhythmic pulses, mirroring the thundering in her ears.

She barely registered the man pulling out a knife. Nor the horrified scream of her mother who had just opened the trapdoor leading onto the roof. The only thing that shone with pinpoint clarity through the haze, was the chill of cold steel against her throat. So, so cold.

The wind up on the roof stole the heat from Marinette’s sweat soaked skin and she shivered. The blade pressed against her bounced up and down on her neck every time she shook. A flash of silver sliced past her cheek, like a shooting star, leaving a long silver trail in her vision that refused to fade even after her eyes fell shut. Marinette felt her arms slip to her sides and she fell forwards into something firm and warm. So very warm.

A bit of her consciousness returned to her long enough to murmur one sentence before she sank into oblivion;

"It's about time, kitty."

The black cat smiled a small smile as he looked down at the exhausted girl pressed against his chest. Chat Noir reached up one hand to stroke her hair gently, Ladybug would forgive him, this small girl did well in persevering as long as she did.

Carefully, he looped the knotted strap of her satchel over her head to settle around her shoulders, before sweeping his arm beneath her knees to cradle her to his chest. The lights of the city that lay before them bathed her face with a warm glow. Before turning around to deliver her into the arms of her tearful parents, He paused, considering.

Well, she deserved a reward.

Before he had a chance to change his mind, he brushed his lips, feather light, over her forehead as red and blue flashing lights and sirens rang out in the distance. The lights cast the faintest red blush over Chat Noir’s cheeks.

Flustered, he turned his back to the city and deposited the unconscious girl into the waiting arms of her parents. Ducking his head he smiled and stooped to pick up his baton from where it lay next to the collapsed form of the burglar. Leaving the rest to the police and her parents, the grinning black cat sprang from the balcony into the chilly Paris air, enjoying a few airborne somersaults before vaulting off into the depths of the city.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien behaves like a teenage girl, Plagg is kind of useful for once, and Marinette lets it slip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot bunnies smirked at me, what was I supposed to do? I don't know, how about the actual stuff I need to read/write for school? Oh wait, I was pretending like that doesn't exist. Also I have no idea how to formaaaaat! Enjoy the chapter.

Adrien was moaning in pain at the foot of the stairs, Plagg was giggling in his pocket.

  
"This is all because you kissed her last night." The black Kwami teased. Adrien colored and stuffed him back into his pocket. Trying with all of his might not to remember what had happened the previous night.

  
Spotting the car waiting for him, he quickly stood up. Gingerly bending his new scraped elbow he hurried to the car waiting for him. Yanking open the door Adrien fervently hoped that the tinted windows hid the slight flush to his face.

  
Preoccupied as he was, he promptly forgot to duck as he climbed inside and smacked face first into the door frame.

  
Rubbing the new bruise to his forehead, Adrien sighed. Letting his head flop onto his bag as he mentally catalogued the new collection of bruises he had slowly accumulated since last night, as well as his various mishaps.

  
_Closing the bathroom door on his toes. Dropping all of his hair care supplies. Almost missing the couch as he sat down. Falling out of bed twice during the night. Tripping up the stairs. Being teased by Plagg. Pouring creamer into his cereal. Dropping, and then stepping on Plagg's breakfast. Missing the final step on the stairs, and finally; smacking into the car whilst getting in._

  
Adrien groaned into his school bag, hoping it would muffle the sound.  
Why, oh why, did he have to do that last night?

  
Marinette was his classmate, his _friend._

  
He had _kissed_ her.

  
Adrien screamed again into his bag.

  
At long last the car pulled up to the school and Adrien climbed out. Paying extra attention this time, so as not to repeat his little accident in front of his classmates.

  
Adrien barely looked up the entire time he climbed the stairs to the school. Focused on not stepping wrong, he even didn't look up as he entered the classroom, or as he began climbing the stairs to his seat.

  
"Adrien, where are you going?"

  
"Huh?" Adrien looked up at Nino's voice.

  
He then proceeded to miss his next step and trip, dropping his books all over the ground and landing on his knees with an ungraceful grunt.  
His face slightly red, Adrien glared at his friend.

  
"What did you do that for?" He snapped.

  
Nino held his hands up in mock surrender as he went to help his friend pick up his books.

  
"I just thought I'd mention that you'd just walked past your seat."

  
If he wasn't blushing already, he certainly was now. Adrien ignored Nino's laughter as he grabbed his things and sat down grumpily in his seat.

  
Nino sat down beside him, "You might want to fix your bed head too."

  
Patting his hair, sure enough there was a lock that was sticking straight up, gelled in place.

  
Adrien groaned and dramatically threw his head down onto his bag and resolved to sit still, and not do anything else embarrasing for the rest of the day.  
He didn't notice when Alya and Marinette came into the classroom, and jumped slightly when they greeted each other.

  
From beside him, Nino called out a hello.

  
"Good morning Nino."

  
Adrien stiffened, Marinette.

  
"Good morning A-adrien."

  
She'd said his name. Adrien didn't respond and kept his furiously blushing face pressed to the table.

  
"He's had kind of a rough morning, sorry Marinette." said Nino

  
"Oh." Adrien watched out of the corner of his eye as the pretty bluenette relaxed.

  
"Aw, is our resident Mr. Perfect sulking?" Alya teased, reaching over Nino to poke Adrien's head.

  
He growled. A rather realistic deep throated growl.

  
Oops.

  
Just as Adrien was panicking about the noise he had made, something warm was gently set down by his head.

  
"If you'd like you can have this. It was going to be my breakfast but I think you need it more."

  
Adrien lifted his head just barely to watch Marinette walk away.

  
As the bell rang for class to begin, he eagerly opened the bag. Inside was a warm chocolate filled croissant.

  
Adrien practically melted. This girl was truly too good for him.

  
Turning around in his seat, he caught Marinette's eye, quickly mouthing a "thank you." He turned around before she could see the blush overtaking his face.

  
By the time lunch came, Adrien's mood had vastly improved. He had even taken a quick trip down to the restroom to fix his bed hair, and hadn't tripped again the entire way.

  
He had decided to forgo his typical trip home for lunch in favor of grabbing something at a new cafe that had opened down the street with his friends.

  
Alya, Marinette, and Nino, were waiting for him at the foot of the school stairs. He quickly joined them, smiling.

  
"Adrien," Alya began. "Did Marinette tell you what happened last night?"

  
Adrien shook his head.

  
Heedless of Marinette's attempts to stop her, Alya went on. "A burglar broke onto her balcony last night, and Chat Noir saved her!"

  
"Alya!" Marinette reprimanded her friend. "I said that's just what my parent's said, I didn't even get to talk to him!"

  
The brunette pouted at her friend. "But don't you think it's totally awesome to be saved by a superhero?"

  
"You're saved from Akuma all the time you know."

  
Alya sighed. "It's not the same, but it would have been awesome if Ladybug had been there too." She cheerfully continued to babble on about the superhero duo.

  
Adrien noticed that Marinette didn't mention her bravery at standing up to the burglar, or the kiss after he had saved her. But he did notice that her cheeks pinked every time Chat Noir was mentioned, so her parents must have filled her in on what had transpired. That made him blush too. He buried his face in his scarf as he walked and smiled secretly to himself.

  
The four of them continued to chat cheerfully as they walked, with noses buried in scarves, and hoods pulled tight against the unseasonably cool and blustery March air.

  
Adrien was wearing his favorite powder blue scarf that he had gotten from his father. He grinned every time he tugged it up around his chin.

  
The cafe was a warm and cute little place that was tucked into a side street. They sat down at a table and ordered food and warm drinks.

  
Adrien was sipping his chai milk tea when it happened. Alya was telling a particularly energetic story and lunged out to tickle Marinette.

  
She squealed and threw herself out of the way, and right into Adrien. He lost his grip on his cup and dumped the hot tea all down his front.

  
Adrien's yell of surprise caught the waiters' attention and they quickly hurried over with dry towels to clean up the mess. Mopping up most of the tea, he excused himself to the restroom to observe the extent of the damage.

  
Sighing into the mirror, Adrien tried his best to wipe off the tea stains from his clothing using wet paper towels, but it was no use.

  
"Why have I been such a mess today?" He wondered aloud.

  
"I told you already, it's because you kissed her." He didn't expect Plagg to pop out of his pocket and once again bring up the events of the previous night. Adrien was so not in the mood for his Kwami's teasing.

  
"I shouldn't be this much of a mess just from kissing one girl, and on the forehead too." He glared at Plagg. "What happened last night doesn't matter." He tried to shove the cat-thing back into his pocket.

  
Irritated that he was being ignored, Plagg flew out of Adrien's grasp and hovered in front of his face.

  
"I've been trying to tell you why." He said pointing a paw at the teenager. "You just absorbed La- that girl's bad luck by kissing her." Seeing that his chosen was staring at him with his mouth open, Plagg sniffed and flew back to Adrien's bag.

  
"Wait, wait! Plagg, what does that mean? I absorbed her bad luck? Why? How?" At the flurry of questions Plagg popped his head out of the bag.

  
"You didn't seem to care earlier, why should I tell you now?"  Plagg glared at him.

  
"I'll give you three whole wheels of Camembert."

  
"You're the holder of the black cat miraculous, you attract bad luck. By kissing an untransformed civilian, you stole her bad luck." Plagg quickly said.

  
"Wait! Does this mean I can't kiss Ladybug?" Adrien asked with his eyes wide open.

  
Plagg remained silent, and Adrien glared at him.

  
"One more wheel."

  
"If you kiss her as Chat Noir, it'll be fine. Kissing holder to holder, and civilian to civilian is safe."

  
Adrien let out a breath.

  
"So how do I reverse it?"

  
Plagg just stared at him. "I'll have you know each question is an additional wheel of Camembert."

  
Adrien glared at him "Fine!"

  
"You just need her to kiss you, preferably in the same place."

  
" _WHAT?!_ "

  
"Adrien? Are you good?" Nino called from the bathroom entrance.

  
"I'm fine!" He turned his attention back to his Kwami. "She has to kiss me?"

  
The Kwami stared at him, "Relax kid, it'll be as Chat Noir."

  
Adrien blushed, "That's not what I meant..." But the Kwami wasn't listening anymore.

  
He left the bathroom and ran into Nino.

  
"Dude, what was that yell back there?" he asked.

  
"Oh... I just saw that my scarf was totally ruined, that's all." Adrien quickly came up with an excuse.

  
"I'm so sorry!"

  
Adrien turned to see Marinette on the brink of tears, squeezing her hands together in agitation.

  
"I'm so sorry!" She said again. "It was totally my fault, I can remake it for you, I still have plenty of yarn left over and I'm just so sorry!" She bit her lip and looked up at him.

  
"What?" Adrien said.

  
Marinette's big blue eyes went wide, and she paled.

  
"Never mind! It's nothing! I'm so sorry about everything! Bye!" Grabbing Alya by her arm, she hurried away before Adrien could question her further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank god for spellcheck. More will be coming... probably...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette digs herself even further into a hole, Chat Noir is an insecure fluffball, and Alya needs to get her relationship advice somewhere else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life has released me! Finally I'm getting more than 4 hours of sleep a night... I had this one all written out, but finding the time to type it took a while. I'm sorry T^T Please enjoy, and ignore the really bad dialogue...

Marinette hurtled down the stairs of the school

With a gasp she tried to grab onto something to slow her descent but her hands clutched empty air. She shut her eyes and prepared herself for a face full of concrete. 

With a grunt of effort that wasn’t her’s, Marinette collided with something firm and warm. Not quite the pavement she had been expecting. While she tried to understand just what had happened her palms slipped against warm leather. Leather that  _ breathed _ . With a grasp she thrust Chat Noir away.

“Where did you come from?!” She practically shouted at him.

“Meow-ch, I’m wounded princess.” Chat grinned at her, a gloved hand pressed to his chest in mock pain. 

Marinette glared at him, but he continued on without pause; “But not as much as you would’ve been had I not come to your rescue.” 

He smirked, but his expression soon morphed into an expression of bafflement- and worry. 

Marinette couldn’t figure out why at first, but soon realized that tears had welled up in her eyes and begun to stream down her face.

“What? What happened? Marinette? Why are you crying?” His hands fluttered over her shoulders, not quite touching her. “M-marinette?” 

She took a shaky step back and turned her back to him, her shoulders hunched. 

“Won’t you talk to me, princess?” 

He took her elbow with a gentle hand and led her across the street to shelter beneath the overhang of a roof. With her head still tilted downward she refused to look at him. 

Tentatively, he brushed his clawed fingertips over her cheek, not hard enough to cut, but just enough to be reasuring 

Marinette almost felt herself leaning into his touch for a moment, before she came back to senses with a jolt. Furiously, she scrubbed at her cheeks with a clenched fist, beside herself with mortification at crying in front of the superhero. 

She forced a laugh; “Sorry Chat, I don’t even know why I’m crying.” 

She laughed again, and brushed her bangs from her eyes. Marinette gave a bright smile up at him, but for once the flippant black cat didn’t return her smile. 

Awkward, she twiddled with her sleeve until he moved again. 

A neutral expression on his face, Chat reached over to poke her nose. “I’m coming over tonight, you’re talking then.” His tone left nothing open for argument as he turned on heel to stalk away. Marinette laughed again, bell-like, “But there’s nothing to talk about?” She called after him. 

He spun around and fixed her with a look that made her unable to meet his eyes. She stared down at the ground.

“Leave the trapdoor open for me.” 

Marinette nodded still not looking up.

“MARINETTE!” 

Alya’s yell reached the two of them. They could see the tan girl across the street searching. With his usual cheshire-like grin, that wiped his previous chilling atmosphere away in a flash. Chat extended his baton. “That’s my cue to leave, my purr-incess. Don’t forget!” 

He vaulted away before Alya could spot him, tactfully avoiding the complicated questioning sure to ensue. 

Marinette watched him go with a complicated expression, Chat was a good friend.

“Marinette!” Alya had spotted her and made a beeline for the bluenette. “What on earth are you doing here?” 

“Sorry Alya.” Marinette ducked her head and adopted a chagrined expression, she prayed that the other girl hadn’t noticed Chat’s less than discreet escape. 

Alya fixed her with a very tired look.

“Girl, if you’re going to drag me from an very awkward situation, you could at least wait up.” The minute Alya had caught up with her, she immediately brought Marinette’s attention back to the problem at hand.

“I freaked out.” Marinette defended herself.

“Yeah, you practically burst into tears in front of Adrien.” 

Marinette winced.

“Also the part where you completely ruined the best chance you could have gotten, to tell him that  _ you _ were the one who made the scarf he loves so much.” Alya continued.

“Alyaaa…” Marinette moaned, “I will never,  _ever,_ not even on my dying day, tell him that I made that scarf myself.”

“He’d probably be happy to see how much you cared about him to make it.” 

Marinette fixed her friend with her most scathing glare. 

“He thinks it was from his father, he was so happy, I can’t take that from him. Even more so because I like him.” This time it was Alya’s turn to give her friend a look.

“Sometimes I wish that Ladybug would just swoop down from the sky and fix all of this teenage complicatedness.” she muttered. 

Marinette laughed.

“I think she’s probably just as hopeless about love as I am.”

“Why do you think?” Alya asked, confused. 

Marinette merely smiled and smoothed her clothes.

“Just a hunch.” she called over her shoulder as she began to walk to class.

“You’re going to go back to class?” Alya asked incredulously.

“Of course not," Marinette said seriously. "I’m going to fake sick so that I can go home. Then I’m going to hide in my room and scream into a pillow or something.”   


“That’s what I thought.” Alya laughed. 

 

* * *

 

Marinette successfully faked a headache and walked home, where she proceeded to lock herself in her room and attempt to rock her anxieties away for the next three hours. 

It didn’t work.

 

* * *

 

Halfway through doing, or attempting to do, her homework. Marinette chucked her pen across her bedroom in a fit of impatience, and (quietly) stomped downstairs for a snack.

That was how Chat caught her, half dressed, holding a cookie in one hand and chugging straight from the milk carton with the other.

“Hello princess.” 

Marinette chucked the cookie at him.

He ducked dramatically, and Marinette suspected that rather than actually avoiding the cookie, he was giving her time to scrabble for a shirt. A suspicion aided by the fact that his face was flushed red beneath his mask.  


“Chat! What did I tell you about sneaking up on me in the middle of the night! H-how did you even get inside?!” She finally got the blasted hoodie over her head and turned around to fume at him. Chat just smirked at her, playing at not being abashed.

“You left your trapdoor unlocked, I took it as an invitation.” 

Marinette blushed and took another swig of the milk.

Chat coughed awkwardly, the sound extra loud in the silence, scratching his chin. “Next time I’ll just wait in your room.” 

Yeah, good kitty. Marinette thought, Out loud she said; “Grab those cookies and let’s scoot.” 

She took the milk and two glasses herself and headed for the stairs. She paused halfway; “And be quiet if you cherish your whiskers, my parents are sleeping.” 

She didn’t technically need to tell Chat to be quiet since he was surprisingly light on his feet for a teenage boy in leather boots, but she did it anyway.  _ Just _ to hammer in the fact that he was sneaking around her house, at night, stealing cookies. 

Marinette turned and marched up the stairs, allowing her black cat to follow. In her room she set the milk on the table for Chat Noir to pour and flopped down at her desk. “What do you want to watch?” She called over her shoulder as she waited for the monitor to turn on. 

He hummed as he slid the cookies out onto a plate. “I was hoping we could talk about this afternoon.” 

“What?” Marinette asked, distracted by the screen. “I was thinking we could watch more Sailor Moon.” 

Chat laughed. “I guess it doesn’t matter, you’re acting like yourself again.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? You  _ love _ Sailor Moon-  _ oh! _ That’s what you were talking about.” 

Marinette turned to look at Chat and broke into a huge, genuine smile. “Chat, you literally scared me out of my deep blue funk earlier.” Chat’s eyes went wide. “I forgot all about it!” She beamed at him. “I actually wouldn’t mind talking about it now.” She fingered her bangs shyly. “If you’re still up for it?” 

With a thump, Chat flopped down face-first into her chaise. “W-what?” Marinette nearly fell out of her chair in her rush to his side. “Are you okay?” 

Chat only moaned and hid his face in his hands. 

“You don’t hate me?” 

WHAT? Marinette was flabbergasted. 

Why would she ever hate him? Sure he was an insufferable flirt, with an anime addiction, and an insatiable appetite. But he was also her very important friend. 

She stared at him, uncomprehending, before she snapped out of her daze. 

“Of course I don’t. Why would you ever think that?” she said  


He made an unpleasant moaning sound, and shook his head vigorously. “I was being stupid, it’s nothing.” 

“Chat, nothing you could say to me, outside of a pun, could possibly be stupid.” She frowned at him. “Out with it.” 

He squirmed under her glare. “I… thought you might’ve hated me because you wouldn’t tell me what was wrong.” 

“Just that?” Marinette’s shoulders sagged. “I…” She stopped totally baffled.

“Well if i grow to hate you do you know what I'll do?" Marinette asked him with her best stern expression.  


Chat only shook his head so that his ears wobbled. 

“To start with, i won’t talk to you, and I won’t look at you, i won’t help you anymore during Akuma attacks like you always tell me to. I won’t let you into my room, I won't suffer through anymore Sailor Moon for you, and I certainly…” She paused to jab her thumb into his side “Won’t ever feed you again!” 

The lanky boy in a cat suit squealed and rolled away from her. Marinette chased him, tickling his sides mercilessly until they were both breathless on the carpet, panting with laughter. 

“Do you understand now, you dumb cat!” 

Marinette threw her final jab at him and belly flopped onto the blond boy, smooshing him flat. 

Chat Noir wheezed from her weight as he answered, all smiles again. “Yes Mari, I understand.” 

“Good.” She said, “Now let’s watch this already.” she stepped delicately over his sprawled form and sat back into her chair. 

Chat dragged her chaise over to the desk to sit on. 

Sipping slightly warm milk and nibbling cookies, they giggled through the episodes. And just like that, they spent the next two hours, together.

 

Extra thing I couldn't squeeze in;

*Crunch*

M: ?! Chat! That was my pen!

C: Sorry...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehee~ Chat and Marinette have history~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette spills her guts to Chat Noir, Adrien realizes something, and maybe Plagg isn’t so shitty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm damn proud of this one.

Adrien hit the ground, hard.

He lay on his back, breathless, searching his memories of the last night. He let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he had held; he remembered, he was still in Marinette’s room, they had been watching Sailor Moon. He must’ve fallen asleep, because he was on the floor beside the chaise. Woken when he fell off in his sleep.

But there was still something bothering him, and it took a minute before he could figure it out.

He was _Adrien_ , and Plagg, that little shit, was nowhere to be found.

A soft noise caught his attention and he turned his head- and froze. Marinette was asleep in her computer chair, knees pulled up to her chest, and her head tilted away from him.

_‘_ Oh, _shit_.’ Adrien didn’t dare breathe, frantically looking for his Kwami.

However Marinette chose that exact moment to groggily raise her head and yawn. Still facing the wrong direction, thankfully.

Adrien scrambled on hands and knees for the linen cabinet that he knew Marinette kept extra blankets in. He dumped the drawer out, swaddling himself from head to toe with the nearest quilt. The king sized covering was large enough to keep his entire body hidden from sight.

He tugged the hem up from around his ankles and began to pick his way through the darkness towards the trapdoor, and freedom when...

“Chat…? What are you doing?” He froze.

“I was cold?” Adrien tried his best to keep his voice casual as he turned towards Marinette’s voice.

“So you raided my blanket stash? _And_ made a huge mess?”

He could tell she was scowling, and still half asleep, but her voice carried that little lilt that let him know she wasn’t truly mad at him. He grinned through the blanket.

“I was thinking blanket fort, but you woke up.”

Marinette didn’t reply.

Adrien started to sweat beneath the blanket.

“No fort…?” he said cautiously.

“Let’s do this.”

Adrien’s words were drowned out by Marinette. Blind beneath the quilt, he listened as she rustled around and tossed things into piles on the floor, each object making a soft plopping sound as they landed.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he peeked from a fold, and saw that she had created a huge mound of pillows, and with her chaise making up one side, she stretched a blanket over both to create a simple cave.  Twisting her back with a pop, she turned around towards him. He quickly hid under the blanket again.

“What _are_ you doing Chat?” Adrien jumped.

“Becoming one with the blanket?” he offered. She snorted.

“Whatever, just get in.”

Marinette waited patiently as he somehow managed to wiggle his way into the fort, without upsetting the delicate balance of the pillows, or revealing any part of himself.

Once Adrien settled himself, she squeezed in next to him. Her shoulder pressing against his in the small space.

She didn't say a word for the longest time.

“Chat.”

He jumped, pulling the quilt snugger around his body.

“Y-yeah?”

“I really messed up.” Adrien felt his heart pull at her soft words, but he didn’t say anything.

“You know the guy I like? Adrien?.”

She paused to take a deep breath. “It’s kind of a long story, but there’s this present I made him, right? But there was a mix up and he ended up thinking it was from his dad. But he was really happy about that so I didn’t say anything. Because surely he’d be happier getting it from him than _me._ ”

Her voice went muffled suddenly, like she had buried her head in a pillow. “...And today I might’ve let it slip. Because stupid klutzy me messed up the scarf and then I freaked out and told him that I’d make him a new one. So now he knows that I made it, and he’s totally going to hate me for lying, and we won’t be able to be friends with him anymore.”

Her words quivered, thick with suppressed emotion. “I’m sure he won’t ever want to see me again.” she finished with a wobble to her voice.

Adrien’s heart fluttered up into his throat. His hands fisted uselessly by his sides.

“Marinette…” He could only murmur her name softly as he listened to her ragged breathing.

“Chat!” she wailed, her voice muffled but still audible. “He- Adrien’s going to hate me!”

“Marinette, Marinette…”

Why did his heart ache so? He didn’t know, but he still wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders and pulled her close to him. Covering her in a cocoon of warmth.

Luckily the blanket was large enough for two.

Marinette curled up against him and sobbed, hands clenched into the quilt. Adrien covered her trembling fists with his own gentle hands, only a layer of fabric between them, and held her closer.

Gradually the tears ebbed and her sobs slowed to gentle shudders, and with a deep breath Marinette sat up.

Her hand lingered on his chest, almost like she didn’t want to let go of him. Adrien found himself hoping that that was the case, but she slowly drew her hand away, and once more he was blind.

“Chat?” Her voice was tight and strained from crying.

“Yes?” All he wanted was to make her troubles go away. To make her the happiest person in the world. If only he could tell her, if only he could take this blanket off.

“Thank you for being my friend.”

Like lightning.

_Ah… it hurts…_

Adrien smiled brightly at her through the blanket, keeping his voice light and jovial.

“ _Paw_ -lease, you’ll never get rid of me with a few tears.” He reached up to rub where he thought her head was, and she squeaked in protest. “Any time you’re _feline_ down, feel free to talk to me.” He mussed her hair again and withdrew his hand.

“I’ll always be your friend,”

_Why…?_

“Okay, _purr_ -incess?” She giggled.

“Count yourself lucky to be one of my best _fur-_ iends.” She laughed at her own pun and hugged him again.

_I don’t want to be her friend?_

“Certainly, I mean who else can I exchange puns with?” He puffed out his chest, although he wasn’t sure if she could see it beneath the quilt. She laughed anyway.

“What about Ladybug?”

The air whooshed from Adrien’s lungs, he struggled to breathe, to draw in enough air to formulate a response.

_Lady...bug?_

“Ah!” Adrien leapt to his feet, not caring about the blanket roof of the fort that tangled around him, or Marinette’s cry of surprise. “I have to go home now! I totally forgot! Bye Princess!”

With all of the grace of a cat caught in a trash bag, he lurched towards the trapdoor, pulling the quilts away from his eyes so he could climb the ladder. Before Marinette could protest, he was on the roof, blankets pooling around his ankles.

“Woah? Kid?” Plagg was floating above an overturned flower pot and yelled in surprise at Adrien’s sudden appearance.

“Plagg! Claws out!” Before his transformation was even complete, he leaped from the balcony into the open air, his costume materializing as he fell, he extended his baton and with all of his strength flung himself across the rooftops. Again, and again, until his arms throbbed and his breath rattled in his chest. But still he ran, vaulting again, and again, until his pole finally missed the mark and he fell.

He landed on a pile of empty boxes that cushioned his fall, and scared away a stray cat that vanished into the darkness.

Blankly, Adrien stared upwards at the thin sliver of sky that was visible between the tall buildings- and the tears came.

He covered his eyes with his palms and cried.

Between chest wracking sobs he whispered;

“I love Ladybug.”

His shoulder throbbed and he clenched his teeth.

“I love Ladybug.”

He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, but the tears still came.

“I love Ladybug.”

He let his transformation flow away between sobs, and Plagg appeared, hovering above his chosen.

“H-hey, kid…” Adrien heard the Kwami’s voice but didn’t reply. He moved his hands down from his eyes and fixed Plagg with his gaze.

“Plagg… I love… Marinette?” Fresh tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at his Kwami. Plagg didn’t say a word and merely floated down to nestle against his chosen’s cheek.

“I love Marinette.”

Adrien cradled his Kwami in his hands, and cried.

Slowly, above him, the sky was painted with streaks of cinnabar and coral. Marking the start of a brand new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, Adrien knows that Marinette has a crush on him cuz she 'fessed up to Chat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Night: Side Story about Chat Noir and Marinette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote chapter 6, but I decided to write this, and post it, before I post ch 6. So that's why it's a teeny tiny bit late... I don't even remember when I posted last tbh. It's also my birthday in like 2 days so I get to be lazy in preparation... However! My school is now on spring break! So it's time to stock up on chapters... and write that killer idea for a Dj Wifi fic... This one will most likely be ending in a few chapters. Enjoy!

**6 Months Ago:  
**

 

Ladybug landed on the balcony of her house and dropped down the trapdoor into her room, de-transforming. She propped open the hatch to the roof and quickly changed into her pajamas. 

“Marinette, are you really going to do this?” Tikki’s voice came from her side as Marinette tugged her pink shirt over her head. 

“Why wouldn’t I?” Marinette looked at Tikki as the Kwami munched the cookies that she routinely left out on her nightstand for nights such as these. Snuggling up on top of her bed, she grabbed her chemistry homework and opened her textbook.

“You are alway so worried about your identity being discovered.” She gazed up at her Chosen with worry in her eyes.” It just seems a bit out of character.” 

Marinette scowled down at her textbook, not from the difficulty of the work, but from her conflicted feelings about Tikki’s comment.

“I know it’s not something I’d normally do, but I just want to.” She shut her book with a  thump and shoved it away. She crossed her arms across her chest and folded her legs beneath her. She stared at the sweet red Kwami. “Besides, it’s not like I can take back my words now.” She sighed.

Tikki just looked at her softly and shrugged her tiny shoulders. She flew up to nuzzle against her Chosen’s cheek. “If it’s what you want then it’s the right thing to do.” Marinette stared into her Kwami’s large gentle eyes and exhaled slowly. “I’ll be by your side the whole way.” The girl smiled weakly.

“It is what I want. I’ve made up my mind.” she looked down. “I only hope he’ll be happy with me.” She toyed with the edge of a blanket in silence for a while. The breeze that stirred the black strands of her hair across her neck was the only sound in the room. Feeling for all the world that it would make all of her problems disappear. But it wouldn’t, doing that would only make things awkward. She lay still and  _ tried _ not to think, but after what was just moments her eyes snapped wide and her mouth opened;

“He’s late.” Marinette declared crossly. 

“Who is, princess?” 

Marinette shrieked and fell off of her bed.

“You stupid cat!” She yelled at him, her voice strangled in her throat, and a blush splashed across her cheeks. “You did that on purpose!” She glared at Chat Noir where his head poked out over her trapdoor.

“What?” The blond boy stared at her utterly perplexed.

“UGH! Just come in already!” She jumped off her bed and stormed down her stairs, not even looking back to see if he followed.

“Um? Princess?” When Chat eventually followed her, Marinette was huddled up in her chair with her knees pulled up to her chest. She tried not to glare at him, she really did, but this was  _ Chat _ . That was also the reason why eventually a shy smile broke out on her face.

“Sorry, you spooked me up there.” Marinette grinned up apologetically at him. “But you were late.” 

The black cat had the decency to look slightly abashed as he met her eyes, but his gaze soon turned questioning.

“Ladybug told me to come here. She said you asked?” The cat’s big glowing green eyes met her own with a quiet intensity and Marinette found herself panicking.

“Um! Yeah! I know Ladybug actually, and I asked her to tell you to come here tonight so we could talk!” Chat tilted his head in incompresenshioon.

“Talk?”

“Yeah! Talk! Talk about… stuff!” She really hadn’t thought this through.

Chat Noir frowned at her, and took a step towards her chair. Marinette stared at him, slightly shocked.

“Please explain a little bit better?” His voice had an edge of steel to to it. “Marinette?”

“Um….” She froze up, her eyes darting about the room to focus on anything but his face. He continued

“If it hadn’t been Ladybug herself who told me to come here tonight, I wouldn’t have even come. I am a superhero, there are many people out there who would love to take advantage of Ladybug, or me, in order to find out who we are behind our masks.  _ You _ .” He paused and met her eyes. “Are sounding a lot like those people right now.” His eyes narrowed and she swallowed hard before glancing away again. 

“I- I..” Her mouth opened and closed like a fish as she struggled to find something to say. Her kitten had never sounded so intense like this before. Her gaze fell on the second plate of cookies that she had lain out for Tikki, and a plan sprouted in her head. She opened her mouth.

“I thought you might want a snack!” Marinette blurted out.

Chat Noir blinked at her, and tilted his head, confused. “What?”

Marinette rambled on clinging to the fake excuse.

“You know… a snack! Like some cookies! You and Ladybug are always  _ so _ busy saving Paris from all of the  _ super scary _ Akumas that you must get hungry! Ladybug always stops by my house for a few cookies after an attack, she says that they give her  _ tons _ of energy. So I was just thinking that since you’re the  _ great Chat Noir, _ that you could use some too.”  _ That’s right, lay it of thick, girl. _ Internally, Marinette shook herself to rid her head of a voice that sounded suspiciously like Alya. 

“I mean you always seem to take the brunt of the damage when you’re fighting with Ladybug. I mean the countless times you’ve saved her… I just wanted to do whatever I could to show that I appreciate you and everything you’ve done for Paris… so I just thought…. that maybe… you would want some cookies…” 

Near the end of her torrent of words, Marinette’s voice lost its strength as she finally said the words she had always wanted to say to him. To express how much he meant to her. She felt a few tears well up in the corner of her eyes. 

She glanced up shyly at the superhero- and nearly had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. He was looking at her with eyes as big as saucers, jaw agape, and all signs of hostility gone from his expression. 

She ventured on, “So what do you say?” She grasped at her last idea. “Want to have some cookies and maybe… watch a movie?” 

He stared at her, Maybe it was just Marinette’s imagination but the air seemed brittle and ready to snap as she waiting for him to say something. He just stared at her, his big green eyes wide. She met them evenly with her bluebell ones, channeling all of the open acceptance and invitation as she could. Managing to hold her gaze steady with a calmness surprised her.

He looked at her, and she looked back, and the atmosphere was wrought with tension. Just as it seemed like she would be forced to say something to break the silence, and sharp  _ beep _ sounded in the empty air. They both jumped and looked around frantically, Marinette’s own excuse to leave was interrupted by Chat Noir.

“I’m sorry princess! I’ve got to go!” She watched blankly as he turned tail and dashed through her trapdoor… and was it just her imagination that he glanced back right before he leapt through it?

Marinette sat in her pink chair, at her desk, in her pink room, in her pink, civilian, pajamas, and let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding in. Her cheeks flushed a bright ladybug red as she let her legs slip off the chair.

“Oh.. right. I’m not Ladybug right now, am I?” She rested her forehead on her desk and sighed weakly. From over her shoulder Tikki began to speak.

“Marinette…” 

Marinette interrupted her. “Not a word Tikki! Not a word…” She looked at her Kwami, who sighed.

“That could have gone better…”

“I’ll tell him next time! I swear!”

“Don’t swear, Marinette.” Tikki chided her gently.

Marinette made a sound somewhere between a scream and a moan, muffled by her desk.

* * *

 

Ladybug landed on the rooftop of her house and skillfully slid down onto the balcony. With a small sigh, she squeezed through her trapdoor and landed on her bed, de-transforming. 

“Marinette.” 

Marinette turned towards her Kwami who was floating next the the empty plate on her night stand.

“You’re out?” Tikki nodded. “I’ll grab some more from the bakery.” Marinette said, her voice exhausted and lumbered down her stairs.

When she came back up with a full plate of just-out-of-the-oven cookies and a carton of milk, she opened her mouth to call for her little red friend, but a different sight greeted her eyes.

“Hello princess.” Marinette shrieked and chucked the milk at him. 

“P-princess?” Chat Noir stammered as he fended off the carton with his arm and looked down at her from her bed in shock.

“Wha-” Marinette stopped herself from shouting  _ What are you doing here? _ And stared at the superhero equally flabbergasted. He beamed at her and waved a DVD case in the air. 

“I brought  _ The Princess Bride _ !” he said cheerfully.

Marinette’s hand twitched as she resisted the very strong urge to slap her hand to her forehead. Keeping her voice normal she smiled at him. “Great! Bring the milk with you and come sit here!” She patted her other chair. The black cat superhero’s eyes lit up and he jumped down from the loft. 

Internally marinette sighed;  _ I’ll tell him next time. _ She settled herself into her own chair

He handed her the DVD and the milk and snagged a cookie from the plate that he immediately stuffed in his mouth, before flopping down on her chaise. She gave him a look.

“Don’t you think you’re a little far away?” She asked him. Without missing a beat, the blond boy stood up, picked up the chaise and set it down behind her. All with that chocolate chip cookie still in his mouth. He flopped down and gave her an  _ adorable  _ look.

Marinette sighed, and slipped the DVD into her computer. As it loaded, she sighed again.

_ Dang superheros…  _ She helped herself to a cookie and tried to enjoy the movie.

The next night he was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and he kept coming back, every single night, until Marinette finally had to kick him out and set down some visiting rules, because the poor boy kept falling asleep midway through the movies.
> 
> Also I do bad fan art here; https://miri-skiecer.tumblr.com/   
> Have a look!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gee, whatever happened to Adrien? Let's go to his house to find out!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, this is horrible, unedited, and very very late.

Adrien was absent from school the next morning. Marinette had been tempted to do the same. Between crying her eyes out onto Chat’s shoulder last night and not wanting to see Adrien, coming to school had been harder than normal. 

When she walked into class 30 minutes late, Mrs Bustier(?) didn’t even scold her, the harried looking woman merely waved her towards her seat and continued teaching. When Marinette slid in besides Alya with a confused face, Alya leaned over to whisper into her ear.

“Adrien’s late today, and he didn’t even call in. I think Mrs. Bustier’s worried.” 

“What?” Marinette turned her full attention towards her friend in surprise. “Is he sick?”

Alya shrugged helplessly, “His keepers would have notified the school if he was.” She leaned forwards and tapped Nino’s shoulder, “Any luck Nino?”

He turned towards her with an upset expression on his face. “He’s not replying to my texts.” 

“Oh,” The look on Alya’s face grew more worried. Marinette bit her lip.

“Did he mention anything yesterday?” Her voice squeaked on the last word slightly.  _ Yesterday… _

Nino shook his head, still focused on his phone. Alya bumped Marinette’s leg with her own underneath the table, and gave her a look of understanding. Marinette couldn’t keep the flush from her cheeks and she stared down at the table. Alya resumed the conversation.

“I don’t remember him mentioning any plans.” She checked the time on her phone. “It’s only an hour and a half until lunch. Do you want to check up on him?”

They nodded, Alya stuffed her phone in her pocket and bumped mari with her shoulder. 

“What?” Alya smiled at her.

“Bring some croissants.” Marinette smiled back in comprehension.

“Chocolate, double stuffed?”

“Right! Just the way he likes them.” Alya beamed and bumped her forehead to her friend’s. Marinette smiled back, clenching down on the hard ball of anxiety building in her chest.  _ Everything will be alright.  _ She turned back to the front, and her smile slipped a bit. Lips pressing into a hard line as the events from lunch the previous day came flashing back to her. She willed away the dark flush of embarrassment that bloomed on her cheeks and stared stubbornly at the front board.

_ ‘I can remake it for you.’ _ Marinette blushed again.

It was no use, her stupid, stupid mind just would not give her a break, and oh gosh she was  _ tired. _ This was going to be a long two hours. She groaned, and flopped down onto her desk.

 

* * *

“Mari,  _ Mari.  _ Wake up.” Marinette lifted her head groggily up from her desk and stared balefully at the fuzzy outline that had dragged her from her immensely wonderful and much needed slumber.

“Just let me sleep.” she moaned.

“And let you miss Adrien? You’d never forgive me.” Alya grabbed her friend by her wrists and attempted to pull her upright. “Wakey-wakey, princess. It’s time to go.”

“don’t go stealing Chat’s lines.” she yawned, rubbing her eyes. “The dork only has so many decent ones.”

“Um, what?” The blank confusion in Alya’s voice finally snapped Marinette out of her daze.  _ Oops. _

“P-princess. Chat Noir called me that once when he saved me from an Akuma.” Marinette managed to squeak out. “I told you so you could post about it on the Ladyblog.” Alya stared at the nervous blunette for a few moments before slowly nodding her head.

“I remember.” Thankfully she let the topic drop. “Now are we going to go visit your prince charming or not?” Marinette jumped to her feet and grabbed her bag.

“Sure!” She chirped, a tad too cheerfully. Without letting her grin falter she dashed out the door of the classroom as Alya followed behind. 

***

Three chocolate filled croissants later, Marinette and Alya headed down the street to Adrien’s house. Her heart was thumping in her chest about a mile a minute and she nearly jumped out of her skin when Nino rounded the corner, her arms flailed wildly, and Alya had to pounce on her to keep the smaller girl from hurling the croissants at the poor boy’s face.

“M-marinette?” 

“Sorry…” she said sheepishly. Alya sighed.

“Are we going to deliver these to your boyfriend or just stand here?” Marinette blushed.

“Um, right. Let’s go.” She mentally kicked herself. _ Act normal, act normal… _ internally she recited her tried and true motivational mantra, and steeled herself. She didn’t realize she had stopped just outside the Agreste mansion until Alya shoved her into the doorbell. It rang, loudly, and Marinette squeaked, frozen in place at the intercom chimed to life. The no-nonsense voice of the woman who always accompanied Adrien floated through the speaker.

“Yes, what do you need?” all of a sudden Marinette was very glad she wasn’t a girl scout trying to sell cookies, although chocolate croissants were basically the same thing.

“Um, this is- is Marinette! I’ve come to see Adrien! Gift! For him! Present for get well! Yes?” The woman on the other end was silent.

“Mr. agreste is out at the moment.” Marinette deflated at the woman’s voice. Alya and Nino wore matching expressions of disappointment.

“Okay, I’ll just come back later-.” Marinette began to say sadly.

“But you may come inside anyway.”  She perked up immediately at the secretary's voice, albeit confused.

“But I thought you said he wasn’t home?” The latter end of Marinette’s question was cut off by the sound of the great gates swimming open.

She traded a look with Alya before the three teens ventured cautiously up the front steps.

Once inside, an exhausted looking woman, Nathalie, greeted them. she ran a hand through the streak of red in her dark hair and looked at the teens exhaustively.

“Um, ma’am? Where is Adrien?” Nino was the first to speak surprisingly, hand fiddling with the pockets of his hoodie.

The woman merely sighed again.

“I think it’s best if I show you, follow me.”

Slightly more worried than before the three friends followed her through the house to Adrien’s room.

“Is he inside?” Marinete asked anxiously.

Nathalie merely pushed open the door and allowed them through.

Filled with trepidation at what they might find inside. His room destroyed?, Adrien hooked up to a life support system? The boy lying on his back covered in kittens? The three’s worried thoughts were pushed out of their head when they stepped into the room.

It was empty, or mostly anyway, still filled with the same games and books that Marinette remembered from seeing his room as Ladybug. However there was no Adrien. Te room was quiet, neat, and utterly undisturbed.

“Um where is he?” It was Alya who spoke this time. Nathalie seemed to compose herself at the question, straightening her spine and adopting her typical stony expression she fixed the teens with a look.

“Mr. Agr- Adrien, left the house unseen last night, he hasn’t returned.”

At her words three faces paled.

“Was he kidnapped?!” Marinette burst out.

The woman shrugged.

“Have you contacted the police?” Alya inquired, her eyes blazing with worry.

The tall woman averted her gaze, “His father didn’t wish for this matter to get out to the public. He assumes that Adrien with return through whatever mysterious means that he departed. If you would like to await him here, you are welcome to stay here as long as you may like.” With that the stony eyed secretary turned and left, leaving three gobsmacked teenagers alone in their panic.

“We have to do something! Maybe he’s been kidnapped! Or worse! What if he’s been akumatized!? How long has he been missing? Alyaaaa!” She latched onto her friend’s arm. “Is there anything on the ladyblog?” 

“Calm down Marinette!” Alya extricated herself from her fiend’s grasp and held her arms. “I’m sure Adrien’s fine. Nathalie said herself that he’d be back soon.”

“Yeah?” Nino interjected. “How does she even know that, the dude’s loaded, he was probably kidnapped, and they don’t even care? We should call the police.”Alya turned to him stubbornly.

“Do what you want, I’m staying here, he’s definitely coming back.” She walked over to the couch and plopped herself down in it. She patted the spot next to her. “Marinette.” The smaller girl collapsed into it

“He’ll be back… right…” 

After a moment of silence, Nino aggressively threw himself down as well.

“Only one hour!” He said, glaring at Alya. she glared back, and turned away from him, snubbing him, consequently, that caused her to be looking in the exact direction of the window. Her mouth dropped open, and she elbowed Marinette. Marinette’s eyes bugged out in her head and she shoved Nino, to irately turned to look. He stared in shock, and a messy blond head poked itself  through the window.

“Come on Plagg, I’ve got cheese for you inside.” The small black Kwami lazily flew through the window and hovered above the boy as he clambered inside. “That,” Adrien said as he flopped ungracefully onto the ground. “Is the last time, I am  _ ever _ climbing through my bedroom window un-transformed again. Plagg! I am so going to get even with you.”

“K-kwami.” The slightly strangled outcry made Adrien turn, and he quickly took in the small crowd sitting on his couch. Marinette was nearly purple and her eyes were wide as dinner plates, Alya was snapping photo’s and Nino just stared at his best friend in shock. Adrien reached out, grabbed Plagg, who was still hovering blatantly mid-air and stuffed him in his pocket.

“Kwami? What Kwami?” He gave his best chat grin.

Marinette chucked the bag of croissants at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll hopefully redeem myself in the last chapter? Maybe? My excuse is another fic Idea kinda took over, also school.   
> Once again, to anyone who read this, I am horribly sorry for this chapter, it's a mess.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this out of the guilt of having an unfinished fic floating around my dash. Nothing more. Please like it, actually idec, let it sit here view less for all I care. I'M OUT

“Mari, Mari  _ please, Marinette!” _ The bluenette continued to clutch her head in her hands as her best friend called her name. Utterly oblivious, or blatantly ignoring Alya, she only muttered to herself, wide blue eyes staring through the spaces between her fingers.

Alya looked up to give Nino a desperate glance. “Nino…” The tan boy merely shrugged and bit the end off of a chocolate croissant, he passed another bite sized piece of cheese to Plagg. Grinning through the mouthful of chocolate as the Kwami got crumbs all over the coffee table where he perched, keeping an eye on his chosen who sat miserably on the far end of the couch from his friends.

Alya sighed as she rubbed Marinette’s back, “Adrien.” He jumped slightly.

“Yes?” Marinette stiffened under Alya’s soothing touch.

Alya’s eyebrows quirked together as she glanced at her friend, then back at Adrien. The blond boy still had on a slightly shy look as he met her eyes.

“So you’re Chat Noir, huh.” Contrary to Alya’s expectations, he gave her a sheepish grin, shifting the bag of pastries on his lap.

“I’m Chat Noir.” With a high pitched shriek, Marinette dove for the bag, stuffing chunks of pastry into her mouth. She sat down onto the couch again, pulling at her pigtails and mumbling around the food in her mouth. 

“Stupid...rejected...can’t believe…” She swallowed violently. “I… kissed Adrien Agreste.”

“Wha-”

“ _ What?!”  _ Alya’s shriek drowned out Adrien’s surprised comment. “ _ When?!” _

Marinette peeked up over her hands and spotted Adrien gazing at her with a completely befuddled expression. She flushed.

“I- I- I kiss…. ki-” Marinette bit down hard on her tongue as she stammered, and broke off. Face beet red and lips quivering.

Adrien jumped in at Alya’s accusatory glare. “I’m the only one who has kissed anyone, and it was just that one time on the roof. Marinette has never kissed me. I’ve never been kissed before! By  _ anyone _ .”

Alya snorted, and Nino laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“ _ Bro. _ ”

“What?” Adrien said defensively, “I haven’t.”

“Bro, stop. You’re going to break LB’s heart.”

Alya gasped, even as Adrien gave his friend a severely confused look.

“Mari! When did you say you kissed Adrien!?” she asked, staring at her phone.

The girl squeaked again, but replied shakily, her face still in her hands. “Dark Cupid…”

“Okay, an akuma, not a date… but we all remember  _ that one _ . A Valentine’s Day to remember…” She turned her phone screen… and Adrien  _ squealed. _

“Is that me?!”

“Yes model boy, that is you being kissed- very passionately I must say- by Ladybug.” 

He buried his face in his hands as he refused to look at the photo any more, his ears red at the tips. Marinette was much the same, choking a pillow to death and avoiding eye contact with anyone.

“So, Marinette, do you have anything to tell us regarding this picture?” She violently shook her head.

“Are you sure?” She nodded, still silent

“So Ladybug, you mean to tell us you are Marinette?”

“No! I’m 100% Ladybug, I’ve always been Ladybug and never anyone else!” Marinette finally burst out. 

Alya stared at her before a shit eating grin spread across her face. She elbowed Nino, “I can’t believe that actually worked.” Nino just stared dumbly. Alya giggled as she looked at her phone, “And it’s perfectly recorded!” She turned to phone around to show it to Marinette, who watched, her face three different shades, as her past self vehemently declared her heroic identity. 

“Alya… you tricked me.” The smaller girl was pale and stricken as she stared at her friend. 

“I just got you to admit what I already knew.”

“You- you already- You knew already?! How?!”

“You realized you kissed Adrien, which meant you didn't know you had kissed him, which meant he was most likely Chat at the time. The fact that he himself denied kissing you meant that he didn’t remember kissing Marinette, but he also denied ever kissing Ladybug. So what happened that could have caused Chat to kiss someone and not remember it? Dark Cupid! He was brainwashed when he was kissed so he naturally wouldn’t remember it. And who kissed Chat and remembers it? Ladybug! And who didn’t know she had kissed Adrien until she realized he was Chat? Marinette! But that was only like 12 percent of how I figured it out. I mean girl, you’re Hella Suspicious, and you don’t even realize it.”

Throughout Alya’s tirade, Marinette had been turning further shades of an ill looking color, until she finally found her voice.

“Okay, I’m Ladybug… Can you stop now Alya?”

“Hmm?” the taller girl was completely ignoring her friend’s face as she was too busy recording Adrien’s very interesting facial expressions.

“Ohhh No. Two of my friends are superheroes, this means I’ll be getting interviews after every single akuma attack now.” She tilted her head and paused for a moment. “Actually, Nino come here.” she grabbed the mostly quiet boy by his shirt collar and dragged him out of the room. As she shut the doors, she turned to the 2 kids on the couch and winked. 

Marinette flushed and then paled as she sat on the couch, only a few feet away from her friend/love interest/partner. Surprisingly, it was Adrien who broke the silence first.

“Um, I’m Chat Noir, yes.”

“Ah, okay.”

The two teenagers sat silently on the couch as they debated what to say to each other.

Finally Plagg spoke;

“Okay kid, how about you tell her about your problem?”

“Problem?” Marinette asked curiously.

Adrien blushed. “Ineedyoutokissmemaybe?”

Marinette stared at him. “Why?”

“Messed up a bit with the miraculous and now I’m kinda cursed.”

Marinette considered this for a bit, it definitely wasn’t the weirdest thing, she could deal. She leaned over to Adrien really quickly and pressed her lips to his. When she pulled back, he was stock still. She flushed. “Did I do it wrong?”

Adrien stammered and Plagg took over. “He needs to be transformed and it needs to be in the same place preferably.” He seemed almost bored as he hovered over adrien and sat on his hand until the boy came back to his sense and said the words to transform him. That done Marinette kissed him again, in the same place, on the lips. Adrien froze again.

“Actually Plagg meant my forehead…” Marinette shrugged and kissed him again- on the forehead this time. 

“Actually,” Tikki chimed in this time. “Plagg said preferably in the same place, it worked the first time, you need to do it again now.” So Marinette kissed him again, and as she pulled back, she slipped, typical Marinette style, and mashed her lips to his again.

Tikki flew in gleeful circles above their heads, “Just once more!” The two kids glared at the Kwami who blinked at them innocently, before mashing their faces together long and hard, Adrien opened his mouth breathlessly after they pulled apart and said the words to transform himself. 

Plagg joined Tikki in circling above the two chosen’s heads. “Something so simple like a kiss and you managed to screw it up.” He sighed. Tikki giggled, “but it was so cute!”

“Tikki I agree!” shouted Alya from the doorway, her phone was raised and she was grinning. The two kids sitting on the couch blushed, and Alya grinned. “This will make excellent blackmail material.” 

“Alya no.” Marinette said weakly.

“Alya yes.” The reporter said smirking.

The Kwami circled above their heads chuckling merrily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm never, ever writing another fic without planning it ever again. Never again will I be swayed by the sweet pleading suggestions of commenters again. Never Again. That said, if you want to spam me with kind reassurances that "It wasn't That Bad" then please do, but it really was "That Bad" so I doubt I'll get any.


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